MONTREAL, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoXplore Inc. ("NanoXplore" or the "Company") (TSX: GRA and OTCQX: NNXPF) today announced the promotion of Mr. Ilia Chliapnikov to Chief Operating Officer ("COO"), effective as of July 6, 2026. The appointment reflects the Corporation's continued focus on operational execution as it advances toward its next phase of growth and profitability.
As COO, Ilia will assume an expanded responsibility for the Corporation's global manufacturing operations, reporting to President and CEO Rocco Marinaccio. The appointment allows Mr. Marinaccio to increase his focus on accelerating customer adoption, advancing strategic partnerships, and driving business across existing and emerging graphene applications including advanced plastics and polymers, oil and gas, thin films and foams, energy storage, defence, and data centre applications, while continuing to engage with investors and capital markets.
Since joining NanoXplore in March 2022, Ilia has advanced from Global Director of Operations to Vice-President of Operations, and now to COO. In these roles, he has helped lead the development of the Corporation's renewed vision and mission, championed the greenfield facility launch that expanded NanoXplore's manufacturing footprint in North Carolina, and oversaw the adoption of graphene-enhanced solutions by customers across multiple industries. Ilia also led the capacity expansion of NanoXplore's newly commissioned dry process graphene module, a pivotal milestone for the Corporation.
Prior to NanoXplore, Ilia held progressively senior operations roles across the automotive, food manufacturing, and steel industries. He is a Six Sigma Green Belt and a trained Lean Manufacturing practitioner with an extensive record of waste-elimination and continuous-improvement projects. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from a renowned institute in Moscow, Russia, as well as a Mechanical Engineering diploma from Centennial College.
Rocco Marinaccio, President and CEO of NanoXplore, stated: "Ilia's promotion is well earned. Since joining NanoXplore, he has been a driving force behind our operational performance - strengthening our plants, expanding our footprint across the United States, and instilling the discipline that turns our technology advantage into profitable growth. As we scale production and pursue new markets, Ilia's leadership on the operating side gives us the execution capability to match our growth ambitions. This appointment lets me spend more time where I can add the most value - deepening our relationships with customers and strategic partners, expanding demand across our target markets, and converting our technology advantage into sustained growth."
About NanoXplore Inc.
NanoXplore is the world's largest manufacturer of high-quality, cost-effective graphene, with 4,000 metric tons of annual production capacity in Montreal, Canada. The Company manufactures and supplies high volume graphene powders and provides standard and custom graphene-enhanced plastic and composite products to various customers in transportation, packaging, electronics, and other industrial sectors. The Corporation is also a silicon-graphene enhanced Li-ion battery manufacturer for the energy storage, defense, and industrial markets. The company holds global regulatory approval for unlimited sales volumes of graphene in North America and serves as the lead REACH registrant for graphene in both the EU and the United Kingdom - providing customers with an unmatched combination of scale, quality assurance, and regulatory certainty. NanoXplore is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Please visit www.nanoxplore.ca?
For further information, please contact:
Pedro Azevedo
Chief Financial Officer
pedro.azevedo@nanoxplore.ca
Tel: +1?438?476?1973?
